Cat and Mouse
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU/AH. The original version of "Cops and Robbers." Detective Elena Gilbert is hot on the trail of the nefarious Damon Salvatore. Little does she realize that while she is chasing him, he is chasing her.
1. Chapter 1

**Cat and Mouse**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Okay, guys, I got an idea at work for this. This is how "Cops and Robbers" was ORIGINALLY going to be before I changed my mind. Elena is a detective hot on Damon's trail. However, who is chasing who?**

**Chapter 1**

Detective Elena Gilbert was getting frustrated. This was the third time in three weeks that she had missed her target, Damon Salvatore, the notorious serial killer who had been responsible for the deaths of seven people. She hated it when he eluded her. Every time she thought that she had him within her grasp, he managed to get away. How was it that he kept getting the best of her? Elena tried not to think about it too much, even though it was difficult.

"Damn it, why does he have to be so slippery?" she growled to herself. "For once, I'd like to actually catch the bastard in the act before he escapes."

Sighing, she knelt down and pulled back the sheet that was covering the body of Damon's latest victim. It was a girl, age was anywhere between fifteen and twenty, with long, flowing red hair. She also looked like she had been strangled, made evident by the bruises on her neck. Why Damon killed this girl was anyone's guess. But, it fit his pattern. He preferred young victims, teenagers mostly, and this girl was most definitely a teenager. Elena was still looking at the body when Anna Char, the medical examiner, approached her.

"It's a shame that Damon chooses such young victims to prey upon," she said. "I don't know what kind of message he plans on sending with this one."

"The best kind of message that only a serial killer would send," said Elena. "'I'm getting the best of you, and you're going to have to do better if you want to catch me.' I'm telling you, Anna, I'll catch that bastard yet. He can't continue making a fool out of me forever."

Anna nodded and knelt down to examine the body while Elena went to her car. It was nights like this that made her wish that she could just crawl into bed and pull everything in with her. But, as long as there were dangerous men like Damon Salvatore prowling the streets and targeting victims like the one she had found, Elena had as much chance of that as a snowball did in hell.

Sighing heavily, she climbed into the car, closed the door and started the engine, driving away from the scene. She didn't want to think about what that poor girl's parents were going to say when they found out that their daughter was never coming home alive, because she had seen it many times with the parents of the other victims. It was always the same: the mother would be hysterical with grief and the father would threaten to take the law into his own hands while either Elena or one of her colleagues tried to calm him down and discourage him from doing so.

_I'll find you, Damon,_ she thought. _You can run from me, but you can't hide. Sooner or later, you're going to slip up and when you do, I'll be right there to haul your ass to jail where it belongs._

_Damon's HQ – That Same Moment..._

Damon watched the screen as the security camera he tapped into showed footage from the scene of the murder he had committed. He smirked when he caught sight of Elena and licked his lips as his blue eyes gazed upon her curves. Little did she realize that while she was chasing him, _he_ was chasing _her_. There was a fire within the lady detective that drew him to her. How he loved to get his hands on her and sample some of that gorgeous fire. That was why he chose to leave his victims in the open. He knew that Elena would find them and that would add fuel to her fire.

"It would seem that my plan is working much better than I hoped. Detective Gilbert is determined as ever to find me. Little does she know that I'll find her long before she ever finds me."

As he finished that thought, Damon smirked again. This was, in his opinion, turning into the best game of cat and mouse he ever played, and he couldn't imagine himself playing it with a more worthy opponent than the lovely Detective Gilbert.

"Soon, my lovely," he said. "I will have you within my grasp and we will have lots of fun together, even more than we're having right now."

With that, he let out a wicked laugh, which seemed to echo through the abandoned house he was currently using as a hiding place. He was looking forward to meeting Elena face to face and showing her exactly what he was capable of.

**Note: Thus begins the original idea I had for "Cops and Robbers" when I was planning it out. Hopefully, it will be just as popular as the other.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Thanks for the great reviews on the first chapter of "Cat and Mouse." I appreciate them greatly. With that in mind, I'm now going to venture forward with the next installment. No spoilers, just follow along.**

_Elena's Apartment – 2 Hours Later..._

Elena sighed as she walked into her apartment, the memory of what that girl's body looked like still fresh in her mind. It sickened her to think that there were men out there in the world who thought that it was okay to take an innocent life. However, there was one thing Elena didn't quite understand and that was why did that girl have to die the way she did? Was Damon really trying to send a message and he was using her to do it? Whatever it was, it made Elena's stomach churn. This case was getting more and more perplexing by the minute, that was for sure.

"Another horrible night at work?"

The familiar voice of her roommate, Caroline Forbes, brought Elena out of her reverie. A horrible night was the understatement of the year. Tonight was more like a shitty night, and Elena had a feeling that she was going to see that girl's face in her sleep for weeks.

"That's putting it mildly," she replied. "There was another murder."

"Yeah, they just mentioned it on the news," said Caroline. "God, I can't imagine anyone being that cruel as to take that girl's life like that. The bastard that killed her has to be brought to justice."

"Believe me, Caroline, I'm working on it," said Elena. "Finding the asshole who did this has taken up most of my time these past few weeks." She sighed. "I just wish that he didn't elude me every time. Just once, I wish I could see what he looks like, you know? The only thing I know is his name, Damon Salvatore, and that his victims are young, mostly teenagers."

"That leaves women like you and me out, huh?" said Caroline. "We're in our twenties."

"Yeah, but don't be surprised if that changes," said Elena. "As bitter a taste it leaves in my mouth, Damon will eventually get bored with killing teenagers and seek girls who are past that age, like college age and above."

As she spoke, Elena hoped that wasn't going to happen, because she wouldn't be able to live with herself if Caroline got targeted. She was her best friend and if Damon ever hurt her...God, she didn't want to think about it.

Caroline noticed how quiet Elena became after a few minutes. "Are you okay, Elena?"

Elena nodded, even though she really wasn't. "Yeah, I'm just tired. This case is kicking my ass and the sooner it's solved, the sooner I can go back to the Special Victims Unit, even though that department is even more dangerous than Homicide."

Caroline nodded. She was dating Tyler Lockwood, who happened to work in the Special Victims Unit, and she knew exactly what Elena meant. There wasn't a night that went by that she didn't worry about him. In fact, she worried about Elena too, and what she was dealing with in her temporary spot in Homicide, which made her glad she worked in the District Attorney's office, even though she saw some weird shit there too.

"Well, I hope you nail Damon for what he did," she said. "He deserves to be locked up and never see the light of day again."

Elena forced a smile at her enthusiasm. "We'll get him, Caroline, I promise. The District Attorney's office is going to have a field day, if it isn't already."

Not giving Caroline a chance to answer, Elena went to her room to hopefully rest up before she got another call. As she entered the room, she couldn't help but get the feeling that she was being watched, but how could that be when she was the only one in the room? Ignoring the shiver that went up her spine, Elena took off her leather jacket and holster, placing the jacket on the hook on the door and the holster on her nightstand in case she had to defend herself.

No sooner did she do this than she felt that eerie feeling again, which made her heart hammer in her chest and another shiver up her spine.

"Relax, Elena," she said to herself. "Nobody's here, so there's no reason to think that you're being watched."

_Damon's HQ..._

Damon smirked as he was watching the footage on the screen. He had just tapped into the camera within the apartment complex that Elena and Caroline were living in and he had heard the self talk that Elena had just used.

"Ah, but Detective, you _are_ being watched," he said. "You just don't _know_ that you are." He licked his lips again. "You have no idea just how irresistible you are to me and that sooner or later, you will fall into my grasp." Chuckling, he added, "I just hope that the nightmares you have aren't too frightening, because I want to see you at your bravest when we meet."

As he continued to watch the screen, he was approached by his accomplice, Klaus, who also licked his lips at the image of Elena on the screen, even though he was already dating a stripper named Rose, whom he met a few months ago at his favorite gentleman's club.

"She's lovely, Damon," he said. "You have impeccable taste."

Damon smirked at the other man. "Why, thank you. Detective Gilbert is the perfect target for me. She may not know that I've been tracking her, but when our paths finally do cross, I guarantee that she'll know why I'm known as the Black Devil."

"Indeed," said Klaus. "So, should I keep placing the bodies of our victims in places where she can find them?"

"Yes," said Damon. "In order for my plan to work, Elena needs to find the presents I leave for her. It's a bit morbid, yes, but it's a necessary evil, so to speak. Though, it is a shame that those girls all have to meet such violent ends when they're at such pretty ages. The last one was exquisite, her hair as radiant as the flame that burns within Elena."

Klaus nodded. "So, when will we strike next?"

"Tomorrow night," said Damon. "We'll pick another beautiful young victim and leave her body where it can easily be found."

Klaus smiled. "Sounds like a plan to me. If all goes well, your path will cross with Detective Gilbert's sooner than you think."

Damon smirked and said nothing, watching the screen again. Elena had just stretched out onto her bed and was trying to get some sleep. As he watched her, Damon felt himself getting hard. God, she had a magnificent body and soon, he would get to run his hands all over it, touching her every curve and sample her sweet lips.

**Note: Chapter 2 of "Cat and Mouse" is complete. Is it wrong that I wish that Damon was watching me?**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Thank you to everyone who sent me feedback for Chapter 2. I'm going to update "Cat and Mouse." The idea for this chapter came to me in a dream (I know, weird, huh?) and I wanted to use it. No spoilers, just follow along.**

_Office of Dr. Anna Char – Next Evening_

Elena went straight to Anna's office, eager to know what her findings were on the victim she found last night. No sooner did she enter than she saw Anna waiting for her. She smiled at the detective, knowing why she was here.

"I was just about to call you," she said. "I found something while I was doing the autopsy on our young victim, something that I think you'll be interested to know." 

"That's good," said Elena. "The more information I get, the better."

Anna smiled and walked toward the autopsy room. Elena followed close behind her and when they entered, she saw the customary Y-shaped incision, as well as the now blue skin of the victim, whose name hadn't been traced yet and was for now being referred to as Jane Doe.

"Now, to cut right to the chase, I discovered some semen while examining her genitals."

"Semen?" said Elena. "You mean, she was raped before she was strangled?"

Anna nodded. "Yes."

Elena scowled at the other woman's explanation. "I guess Damon has now added rapist to his repertoire."

"Not necessarily," said Anna. "I ran some tests on the semen, and it's not Damon's. It belongs to another man, which leads me to believe that he's not working alone. Someone raped this girl and when he was through with her, Damon administered the final blow."

Elena blinked. Damon had an accomplice? She was quite sure he worked alone. Whoever his accomplice was, he certainly knew how to make that poor girl on the autopsy table suffer. He was most definitely a pro, because she doubted Damon would pick an amateur to aid him in his rash of crimes throughout the city.

Clearing her throat, she added, "Were you able to ID our vic?"

"I checked her dental records just before you came in," said Anna. "Her name was Erika Strauss."

Elena nodded. So, their victim had a name. It certainly didn't make telling the parents seem any less difficult, but at least they knew who the girl was. Suddenly, Elena heard her cell phone going off and excusing herself from Anna, she checked the ID and saw it was from her boss, Captain Liz Forbes, Caroline's mother. Pressing "Send," Elena answered the call.

"Gilbert."

"I think you should get downtown immediately," her boss replied. "CSU found another body. A young girl, like the one in Anna's morgue. "

Shit, that meant Damon and his mysterious accomplice have struck again. "I'll be right there. Don't do anything until I get there." She hung up and looked at Anna. "There's been another murder. Another young girl."

"I guess the madness never ceases," said Anna. "Go on. I'll be there in a few minutes."

Elena nodded and headed out of the morgue. She only hoped that this was the moment she had been hoping for, the moment where she would meet Damon face to face and arrest him for murder. The son of a bitch deserved to go down for the shit he had put his victims' families through.

_Downtown – Shortly After the Call..._

Elena arrived on the scene and saw that Captain Forbes was telling the truth. There, covered by a white sheet, was the latest victim. Pulling it back, Elena saw that unlike Erika Strauss, who had red hair, this girl had jet black hair. A Goth, perhaps? A closer look told her that she had no black eyeliner on her eyes or black nail polish on finger nails. But, she was strangled, just like Erika had been. Elena hated to guess if she had also been raped before dying, mostly because it left a bitter taste in her mouth to even consider it.

As she was looking at the body, Elena thought she saw movement in the alley and slowly stepped inside, arming herself with her gun in case she needed it. Ignoring her pounding heart, Elena stepped further into the alley. Suddenly, a hand clamped itself over her mouth, along with a cloth soaked in chloroform. Elena struggled, but it was no use and after a few minutes, she fell limp in the arms of whoever grabbed her.

_Damon's HQ – 1 Hour Later..._

The first thing Elena felt when she came to was having a pounding headache. As her vision cleared, she saw that she was in a bedroom and on a neatly made bed. Not sure what to make of it, she sat up, and the throbbing pain in her head was slightly worse than it was before. How the hell did she get here? The last place she remembered being was the crime scene she was called to.

"Hello, Detective. I was wondering when you were going to wake up. For a minute there, I was worried that my colleague used too much chloroform."

A voice in the room snapped her to attention and when Elena looked, she came face to face with Damon Salvatore himself. Her heart pounding, she went to scream, but he placed his hand over her mouth to muffle any sound she might make. "Ah, ah, ah, no screaming. Unless, of course, it was my name during sex."

Elena grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away from her mouth and stared at him, trying not to be captivated by his obviously gorgeous blue eyes, his silky black hair, or his equally gorgeous body, which was practically being hugged by the gray shirt and black pants he was wearing.

"What do you want?" she said. "Why did you kill those girls?"

Damon smirked at her. "Isn't it obvious, Detective? I wanted to get your attention and it would seem that I succeeded, because it sparked something within you that I find irresistible about you, and not just your body."

Elena didn't like where this was going. "Go to hell."

She quickly got up off the bed and tried to run out of the room, but Damon was too quick for her and caught her before she even reached the door, grabbing her wrist and twisting it behind her back, after which he removed some hair from her neck with his free hand, kissing her neck and causing her to shiver underneath him.

"You're a feisty little one, aren't you?" he whispered against her neck. "I like that. Makes the pursuit more interesting for me."

Elena felt sick as she felt his lips on her neck. "If you're going to kill me, just get it over with."

Damon chuckled against her neck. "Kill you? My dear, I didn't start our little game just so I could kill you. I started this little game because I want to make you mine. I've been watching you carefully these past several weeks."

Elena felt her heart hammer. He was watching her? "H...How much did you see?"

Damon kissed her neck again and then moved up to her ear, whispering into it, "Everything."

His whispered words made Elena even sicker. He saw everything? That explained the eerie feeling she had last night. "You're sick."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Elena," said Damon, nibbling on her ear. "I must say, you're beautiful, like a goddess. A man would have to be blind and stupid not to notice you. Fortunately for you, I'm neither blind nor stupid. I know true beauty when I see it."

Elena gulped and a shiver went up her spine at what he said. Oh God, why was he tormenting her like this? She felt just as violated as the girls he killed. Maybe this was a dream and she would wake up safe in her bed. However, it didn't feel like a dream, it was all too real and she instantly felt lightheaded, fainting a second later. Damon caught her as she fell backward, carrying her over to the bed and laying her down gently. Klaus came in that at moment and Damon gave the other man a glare.

"Everything go according to plan?"

Damon rolled his blue eyes at his stupid question. "Of course it did. However, the impact of our first meeting has taken quite a toll on Detective Gilbert, because the poor dear seems to have fainted." He sighed before placing what looked like a locket around her neck, only the charm had a sort of tracking device implanted in it. "Pity, though. She's quite a beauty." He shook his head. "I'll take her back to her apartment so she can get some rest."

Klaus blinked. "You're not going to keep her here?"

"So you can have your way with her like you do with the girls we bring back here?" said Damon. "You may be my partner, Klaus, but when it comes to Detective Gilbert, I have to draw the line. I will not have you harming her, is that clear? Only I get to touch her."

"Very well, Damon," said Klaus. "You can have her."

"That's better," said Damon. "Now, go play with Rose. I'm sure she's excited to service you again."

Klaus smirked and walked out of the room. Damon watched his accomplice go before looking at Elena's unconscious body, watching as her chest slowly moved up and down. He wanted to keep her here, but he didn't trust Klaus with her, so the best course of action would be to take her back to her apartment.

Gently brushing her face with his finger, he said, "Soon, my dark-haired beauty, it will be safe for us to be together. I don't trust Klaus, even though we work together. He can't keep his hands to himself, the bastard. But, I promise you, Elena, I'll make it so he never bothers you, even if I have to kill him."

**Note: Chapter 3 of "Cat and Mouse" is complete. And in case you're wondering, this is how the dream that inspired the chapter actually went. It's amazing that I remembered it, word for word, image by image. Anyway, don't you just love the fact that although Damon is a ruthless serial killer, he'll do anything to protect Elena?**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Thank you to everyone who sent me feedback on Chapter 3. You guys rock! Since I'm in a mood to update, I'm going to go ahead with Chapter 4 of "Cat and Mouse." When we last left everyone, Elena investigates the scene of yet another murder and in the process, she gets kidnapped by Damon, who tells her that he has been watching her for the past three weeks. No spoilers, except the action takes place that evening at Elena's apartment.**

_Elena's Apartment – That Evening_

By the time Elena opened her eyes again, she was back in her apartment again. Strange, wasn't she in Damon's hideout not too long ago? How the hell did she get back here? She didn't leave on her own accord, because Damon had her wrist in a vice grip behind her back. Did he let her go? It seemed that way. Bringing her hand to her neck, she closed on felt like a chain. Gasping, she got up off the bed and rushed to the mirror on her dresser. How the hell did that necklace get there? She didn't remember wearing one when she left the apartment this morning. Unless...

"Damon."

Of course! Damon must've placed the necklace around her neck earlier and she wasn't aware of it. But, why? What purpose did that serve? Turning the charm over, she saw a tracking device. So, that's it, he wanted to keep tabs on her, the bastard. He didn't let her go after all, she was still a prisoner, only not locked up.

Just then, she heard a knock at her bedroom door. Thinking that it was Damon, Elena gulped and then carefully approached the door and said, "Who is it?"

"It's Caroline."

Elena let out a sigh of relief and opened the door to reveal Caroline standing in the doorway. Grateful to see her friend, she hugged her before she could utter so much as a syllable. Caroline was confused but hugged her back. After a few minutes, Caroline stepped back and cocked her head curiously at Elena.

"Are you okay? The way you hugged me, it was almost as though you were gone for ages."

Elena nodded. "Yeah, I just had a really weird day, that's all."

As she spoke, Elena knew she wasn't being entirely truthful with her friend, but if she told her the real reason she hugged her, she would get scared and that was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Whatever you say, Elena," said Caroline. "Oh, and you got a phone call while you were asleep."

Elena felt her heart hammer. Oh, shit, what if Damon had somehow gotten her number? "Who was it?"

"Dr. Char from the medical examiner's office," said Caroline. "She wants you to come to the morgue so that she can tell you about what she found while performing the autopsy on the new body that you found downtown today."

_Oh good, it was only Anna. _"Great," said Elena. "I'll head there right there."

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay? You're acting weird all of a sudden."

"It's nothing, I'm fine," said Elena. "I'm just a little jumpy because of all this shit associated with the murders." She shook her head. "I know you're concerned about me, Caroline, and I appreciate it, but really, I'm okay."

Somehow, Caroline didn't believe her, but took her at her word anyway. After all, she knew that Elena had been under a lot of stress lately because of the work load she had taken on when she had temporarily transferred to Homicide from the Special Victims Unit and stress could do weird shit to people. She only hoped Elena didn't burn herself out.

_Office of Dr. Anna Char – 1 Hour Later..._

Elena sighed as she walked into the morgue. All the way here, she looked around to make sure that Damon wasn't following her and was relieved when she found that he wasn't. Still, the idea that he had placed a necklace with a tracking device on it around her neck was disturbing. To make things worse, she could still hear his words in her head:

"_I started this game because I want to make you mine."_

Elena shivered at that, as well as the memory of him kissing her neck. Did he think that she would willingly give herself to him? She was cop, and he was a bloodthirsty serial killer. Cop and serial killer didn't go together, it just wasn't natural. Still, he was kind of sexy, in a dangerous sort of a way. Those gorgeous blue eyes seemed to burn into her soul, and his body looked like it was ideal for hours of hot, steamy sex, and that shiny black hair of his was...

Elena shook her head, discouraging herself from having fantasies about the man who had kidnapped her hours ago. Besides, she hadn't been there long enough to develop Stockholm syndrome.

Sighing, she walked into the autopsy room to find Anna waiting for her, the body of the girl she found earlier on the table in front of her, bearing the Y-shaped incision that Erika had.

Clearing her throat, Elena said, "Caroline told me you wanted to tell me about the new body."

"Yes, I did," said Anna. "Turns out she was raped before she was strangled, just like Erika had been. I found semen on her and, just like with Erika, I ran tests on the semen and got the same results. Damon's accomplice raped her."

"I still find it odd that Damon would have an accomplice," said Elena. "I mean, there are serial killers who do most of their work alone."

"True, but maybe Damon hired him because he needed someone who took pleasure in a woman's pain," said Anna. "And this guy definitely knew how to make their victims suffer." She shook her head. "It makes me sick knowing that he's still out there, looking for his next victim."

Elena said nothing, just nodded. She felt just as sick, maybe a little sicker because she had actually been in Damon's presence and shuddered to know that with the tracking device, he could know where she was at any given moment.

"I agree," she said finally. "Those girls didn't deserve to die or be tortured." _I certainly did feel like I was being tortured when I was in Damon's presence earlier,_ her thoughts added. "So, were you able to ID the vic, like you did earlier?"

"Her name was Bethany Henderson, and she was about the same age as Erika," said Anna. "Such a shame. Dying at that young an age. It's not fair, especially when we have to tell these girls' parents that their daughters wound up in the morgue. No parent should endure such pain."

Again, Elena said nothing. She had barely heard Anna, since her mind was still focusing on her time with Damon. While he didn't tell her to keep quiet about what had happened, Elena was hesitant. It wasn't that she didn't trust her friends, she just didn't think it was necessary to tell them anything, no matter how great the temptation.

**Note: Chapter 4 of "Cat and Mouse" is complete. Don't ask how the whole locket with the tracking device on it came about, but I thought it would make an interesting twist, considering how Elena wore a vervain necklace on the show.**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: I just got an idea for the next chapter of "Cat and Mouse," and I want to write it before it haunts me. It actually stemmed from looking at a picture of Damon wet and naked in the tub, and I was like, "Okay, I can use that." Thank you for the feedback on Chapter 4. I appreciate it. No spoilers, except the action in this chapter takes place after Elena's meeting with Anna.**

_Elena's Apartment – Later on..._

Elena turned on the water in the tub in the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom. She was so completely stressed out from work that she needed a nice, soothing bubble bath to calm her nerves. The thought that seemed to stick with her the most was Bethany Henderson, Damon's most recent victim, and that she had suffered the same fate as Erika Strauss and the other unfortunate girls. She remembered Damon telling her that he wanted to get her attention and the murders had been his method. God, how she wished that she could slap the cuffs on him and haul his ass off to jail so that he wouldn't harm another innocent girl ever again.

Heading back into her room, Elena took off her jacket and holster before stepping out of her clothes and throwing on her robe and walking back into the bathroom and sprinkling in some bubbles. Peeling off the robe, Elena climbed into the tub and shut off the water, sighing as she sat back against the wall, closing her eyes.

Little did she realize, however, that she wasn't the only one who was looking forward to the bath. In the bedroom, Damon opened the window and quietly climbed in. He saw that the bathroom door was slightly ajar and Elena sitting in the tub. Licking his lips, he stripped, walked into the bathroom and slowly climbed into the tub. Soon afterward, Elena opened her eyes and saw that she wasn't alone anymore, because she was met with the haunting blue eyes belonging to Damon, who was smiling at her.

"Hello, Detective. Miss me?"

Elena gasped. "How the hell did you get in here?"

"Your bedroom window," he replied. "You really ought to get a lock for that, by the , when I saw you in here, I couldn't resist the temptation of joining you in the tub." He smiled again. "You're even more beautiful naked."

Elena pretended not to be flattered by his last statement and said, "What are you doing here?"

"Does a guy need an occasion to see his girl?"

"Damon, let's get one thing straight," said Elena. "I'm not your girl."

"_Yet_," said Damon. "You're not my girl _yet_. But, you _will_ be." He pulled her into his arms and whispered against her lips, "I meant it when I said I wanted to make you mine." He felt her squirming and smirked as he kissed her, allowing his hands to roam up and down her body.

Elena didn't find this to her liking and quickly pulled away, earning her another smirk. "You might as well admit it, Detective. You want me."

Elena scowled at him. "I want to see you in a jail cell." Not waiting for his reply, she said, changing the subject a bit, "Why did you put that tracking device on me? I thought you let me go?"

"I _did_ let you go," said Damon. "You're not a prisoner, you're free to come and go as you please. As far as the tracking device is concerned, I placed it on you to protect you."

"Bullshit," said Elena. "I don't believe you for a second. What are you protecting me _from_?"

"Not what, who," said Damon. "My partner, Klaus."

"The one who rapes the girls you kill?"

"The very same," said Damon. "I don't trust him, Elena. If I had kept you at my hideout, chances are he would've had his way with you and I couldn't risk that. You may not think so, but I love you and I want to keep you safe. If I knew where you were, I'd be able to find you in case Klaus decides to come after you."

Elena blinked. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I have reason to believe that Klaus will betray me," said Damon. "When that happens, he'll kill me and you'll be his next target. I won't let that happen. I'll kill that bastard before he has a chance to unfurl his plan."

At first, Elena didn't know what to say to that, thinking that Damon was only telling her this to get her into bed with him. Damon noticed how quiet she was and pulled her into his arms again, looking into her brown eyes with his blue ones.

Finally, Elena said, "Are you sure that Klaus is going to betray you, or are you just saying that?"

"I'm serious," said Damon. "I know that you don't believe me, but you're in danger and Klaus won't stop until he gets what he wants. While he's currently dating a stripper he met at his favorite gentleman's club, I have a feeling that's not going to last much longer, especially since he's set his sights on you."

"You mean even more than you have?"

"Oh, I still have my sights set you," said Damon. "I just didn't think that Klaus would do the same. Now that he has, you can understand why I had to make sure that I know exactly where you are. I know that you have your suspicions, but I can assure you that I wouldn't be telling you this if I didn't care about you, which I do."

Elena raised an eyebrow. She wasn't sure if she should trust Damon or not, but she also didn't like the idea of being his partner's target either. "All right, I'll bite. But, only because you insist on it."

Damon smiled and kissed her again and cupped her breasts gently, massaging her nipples with his thumbs. Elena moaned against his mouth as she felt what he was doing to her. She hated to admit it, but she liked it. For a vicious criminal, he had a gentle touch and he was a good kisser too. Before the kiss got too deep, Elena pulled away and looked into his blue eyes again. Shit, they truly were gorgeous.

"Damon, please, I don't think this will work between us. I'm a cop, you're a sadistic, bloodthirsty serial killer. Last I checked, cop and serial killer don't mix well together. It's not natural."

"You may think so now, but you'll change your mind eventually," said Damon. "I know you enjoyed being kissed by me, and you liked my hands on you. Besides, they say that opposites attract, and although we're complete opposites of each other, I know that you're attracted to me, like I'm attracted to you."

Elena wanted to protest, but she was then silenced by one of Damon's scorching kisses. Shit, why did he have to be so irresistible? In her mind, she wanted to arrest him for the violent crimes he committed, but in her heart, she wanted to be with him, to be held by him and taste his kisses, as well as feel his body against hers and scream his name during sex.

**Note: Here you go, Chapter 5 of "Cat and Mouse" is complete. Damon ought to have a sign on him that says, _"Sexy When Wet."_ :)**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Okay, guys, it's been a while since I last updated "Cat and Mouse," so I'm going to do Chapter 6. Thank you to everyone who gave me feedback on Chapter 5. I really appreciate it! Since I'm in updating mood, here's Chapter 6 of "Cat and Mouse." When we last left everyone, Elena is taking what starts out as a bubble bath for one and then she is joined unexpectedly by that sexy blue-eyed devil himself. No spoilers, except I'm going to throw in some Delena smut because I can. :)**

**LET'S GET STARTED!**

_Elena's Bedroom – Shortly After Bath_

Damon smirked as he saw Elena tying on her bathrobe. He felt himself getting hard and groaned. God, how he wanted her. Her lips tasted so sweet and her body was beautiful, making her every bit the goddess he told her she was. He had to have her, to hell with the fact that they lived in two entirely different worlds. Licking his lips, he approached her and wrapped his arms around her from behind, undoing the sash on her robe, which she noticed.

"What are you doing?"

"Taking off your robe," he whispered against her hair. "You won't be needing it for what I want to do."

Elena felt her heart hammer and panted as she said, "Damon, please, we can't do this. I could lose my job over this. I'm supposed to catch you, not have sex with you."

Damon smirked as he removed some hair from her neck, kissing and nibbling it, which made Elena forget her protests and lean back against him. Taking advantage of this, Damon got the sash untied and gently pulled the robe off before turning Elena around in his arms and kissing her lips. God, he wanted her so badly, it was slowly killing him. Elena returned his kiss and let her hands roam all over his chest and up and down his arms. Damon growled against her lips as he felt what she was doing to him. He couldn't tell if she was only doing this to humor him or she really wanted this, but it was of no consequence to him. The only thing he knew that Elena was kissing him and caressing his arms like a lover would.

Wanting more, Damon lifted her up off the floor and carried her over to the bed, where he laid her down gently on the bed, running his hands up and down her body. Elena moaned against his lips as their tongues collided. She knew that she shouldn't be enjoying this, but she did anyway. After all, it had been a while since she was actually in the arms of a man, even if that man was a bloodthirsty criminal. However, she decided to overlook that, especially since he was being so gentle.

Leaving his lips, Elena let out a scream of pleasure, feeling an intense heat flow through her body. Damon smirked as he kissed her throat, feeling the vibration against his lips. "That's right, Elena, scream for me. Let yourself feel what I'm doing to you."

Elena trembled against her will at his voice. "Oh God, Damon!"

Her screams were music to his ears and kissing her again, entered her gently so that he didn't hurt her and groaned at good a fit he was in her. He grasped her hips and began to thrust, slowly at first and then gradually picked up speed. Elena gyrated her hips against his thrusts, keeping in time with his movements exactly.

After a few minutes, she rolled over so that she was on top of him, riding him like a bronco at a rodeo. He felt so good underneath her and she wondered if things would've been the same had he been on the right side of the law and not the wrong side.

Leaving his lips, she trailed kisses down his jawline to his earlobe, playfully licking it with her tongue, gyrating against him. Part of her wanted to stop, but another part of her wanted to keep going. He was dangerous, but in a sexy way. Despite how dangerous he was, Elena felt herself becoming strangely attracted to him.

Panting, she said, "Damon, what are we doing?"

Damon smiled. "We're making love. Don't you like it?"

"I know I shouldn't, since it feels so wrong, but somehow, I do," said Elena. "I've never been with a man like you and you'll have to forgive me if I feel a little uneasy about this. As I said, I could lose my job over this."

"Nobody has to know about us," said Damon. "I promise you that what happens in this room will stay in this room."

Elena raised an eyebrow at that. She didn't know if she should be relieved by what he was telling her or not. But, if he said he wasn't going to tell anyone, then she should probably take him at his word...for now, anyway.

Damon then sat up and held Elena close, bouncing her up and down as he kissed her. Elena reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, which felt like black velvet against her skin. Shit, why did she have feel so attracted to him? Sharing her bed with Damon Salvatore wasn't what she thought she'd be doing tonight. She had originally hoped to take a bubble bath and then head to bed.

Unable to take much more of this, Elena threw her head back and let out a pleasurable scream, Damon following suit about a second later. Thank God Caroline was working late tonight, or she'd probably be knocking at the door right now, asking if anything was okay in there.

_2 Hours Later..._

Damon smiled at the sleeping form of Elena as he pulled on his boxers and pants. He wished that he stay and bask in the afterglow, but he had to return to his hideout before Klaus knew where he had gone. However, Damon took comfort in the fact that he and Elena would be together forever once he dealt with Klaus once and for all.

Carefully moving toward the bed, he brushed her cheek with his finger and planted a soft kiss on her lips.

"Sleep well, my angel. I'll see you again soon."

That being said, Damon grabbed his shirt, socks, and shoes and climbed out of the window, closing it behind him. His guilt was eating at him as he left, knowing that Elena was going to miss him when she woke up. But, for now, he would have the memory of the wonderful two hours of passion they shared.

**Note: Here you go, guys, Chapter 6 of "Cat and Mouse" is done! Hope you've enjoyed this helping of Delena smut I threw in. ^_^**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Okay, it's been a while, so I thought I'd update "Cat and Mouse." I appreciate the feedback on Chapter 6. You rock! When we last left everyone, Damon and Elena have a wild night of passion in Elena's bed. No spoilers, except the action in this chapter takes place after Damon leaves.**

_Elena's Bedroom – Shortly After Damon's Departure_

Elena groaned as she woke up and slowly sat up in bed. She wanted to think of what just happened earlier as a dream, but the soreness she felt between her legs told her it was quite real. She actually did have sex with Damon Salvatore, the serial killer that she was supposed to catch. At least, that's what her head was telling her. Her heart, however, seemed to disagree. It was telling her that it was worth pursuing a relationship with him.

Speaking of Damon, Elena looked over and saw that his side was empty. He must've left after their little romp. But, still, he proved to be an excellent lover and he seemed to really care for her, or else he wouldn't have placed that tracking device on her so that he could save her from his partner.

Sighing, Elena placed her hand over her heart and said, "Damon." Then, as if on cue, she became to fantasize about him still being in this bed with her, kissing her and caressing her. Suddenly, she was startled out of her fantasy by a knock at her bedroom door. Looking at the clock, she saw it was 10:30. Caroline said that she'd be home by that time, so she was probably home now.

Slowly climbing out of bed and throwing on her robe, Elena opened the door and sure enough, there was Caroline, smiling at her. She looked exhausted and for good reason. No doubt the District Attorney's office was up to their asses in paper work.

Returning her friend's smile, she said, "Tough night?"

"Oh, yeah, really tough," the blond woman replied. "That paper work kicked my ass and I'm looking forward to getting some sleep."

"Good idea," said Elena. "You definitely look like you're about to collapse. Go on, we'll talk in the morning."

Caroline nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Good night, Elena."

"Good night, Caroline."

Once her friend left to go to her own bedroom, Elena shut the door and sighed. Looking toward the bed, she missed Damon already. She missed his arms around her and his body pressing against hers, as well as the feel of his hair against her skin as she ran her fingers through it and how incredibly sexy his blue eyes were.

She only hoped that she could get to be with him like that again, because she found herself craving him, even though she knew it was wrong.

_Damon's HQ – That Same Moment..._

Damon carefully walked into his hideout upon returning from Elena's apartment. He licked his lips and could still taste her. He wanted to go back to her and make love to her again and again. The feel of her body against his was the most wonderful experience he ever felt and he wanted to just bask in her radiant beauty forever.

"Where did you wander off to?"

Klaus' voice brought Damon out of his reverie and he scowled at his partner. His first instinct was to tell him to piss off, but that would've been juvenile and uncalled for, so he decided against it. Instead, he thought up a lie that he hoped he'd believe.

"Nowhere special," he replied. "Just out for a walk. It was a beautiful night tonight and I didn't feel like sitting around here doing nothing."

"I see," said Klaus. "If you were 'just out for a walk,' what happened to your clothes?"

That's when Damon remembered he was still shirtless and shoeless. Shit, how was he going to explain that one? Instead of panicking, he said, "Oh, well, I couldn't resist a little swim, so I snuck into this idiot's backyard and did some skinny dipping. Fortunately, though, nobody was home, so I had the whole yard to myself."

As he continued to lie his ass off, Damon studied Klaus' face, hoping that his partner would buy whatever bullshit he was giving him. He couldn't tell him that he went to Elena's, having promised her that he wouldn't tell anyone. And, of course, Damon always kept his promises, no matter what. He loved Elena too much to betray her.

"Really? Well, it sounds like you had fun," said Klaus. "I had some fun myself tonight. I saw Rose perform at the club and afterwards, we went for dinner and dancing. We had a glorious night together, she and I. Made me think about how much fun Detective Gilbert would be. She's an exquisite work of art."

Damon felt sick listening to this. He resisted the urge to tell him to stop talking about Elena that way, afraid that he'd break his promise to her if he said anything. As much as he didn't like it, he had to keep quiet.

Clearing his throat, he said, "Well, I think I'm going to head up to my room and go to bed. All that swimming took a lot out of me."

Not giving Klaus a chance to reply, Damon went to his room and shut the door, letting out a sigh of relief. He bought it. The asshole bought it. He came up with the perfect lie and Klaus fell for it. He knew it would be a matter of time before he discovered the truth, but for the time being, Damon took comfort in the fact that he was able to cover his tracks.

He headed into his bathroom to get into more comfortable clothes for sleeping. He'd probably not do much of it, since he was still recovering from that wonderful round of sex he and Elena had. Looking toward his bed, he pictured her there, naked and waiting for him to come to bed so that she could take him in her arms and love him.

"Soon, _amore mia_," he whispered to himself. "Soon. Just give me some time and once I take care of Klaus, we can truly be together."

**Note: I know this isn't quite as long as Chapter 5 of "Downward Spiral," but it was definitely worth the wait. It's after midnight where I am and I'm getting a little tired. Oh well, here's Chapter 7 of "Cat and Mouse."**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Okay, guys, I got the idea for the next chapter of "Cat and Mouse" at work (yeah, my mind wanders a lot when I'm shredding paper). Thanks for the wonderful feedback on Chapter 7. You guys rock! When we last left everyone, Elena wakes up to find Damon gone and starts to miss him, and Damon returns to his hideout and, after lying to Klaus about where he has been, having promised Elena he won't tell anyone, imagines her in his bed. No spoilers, except the drama is going to be spiked up a bit, and the action takes place two days later.**

_Elena's Apartment – 2 Days Later..._

Elena rushed about as she got ready for work. Caroline had already left an hour ago, since she had to go in early for a meeting, which didn't bother Elena one bit. It had been two days since she last saw Damon and wondered when she was going to see him again. She was already aching for him and while she was holstering her gun, she was hit by another fantasy and her breath seemed to catch in her throat. She could feel Damon's arms wrap around her from behind and her breasts felt heavy. A wetness appeared between her legs and Elena panted from the rush she was getting.

She was so wrapped up in her fantasy, in fact, that she wasn't aware that she wasn't alone until she heard a voice behind her saying, "Hello, Elena."

Elena turned around, half expecting to see Damon, but she gasped in fright when she saw Klaus instead. How the hell did he find her? Deciding not to dwell on that, Elena pulled her gun out of her holster and aimed it at him.

"I don't know why you're here or how you found me," she said. "But, I know that you're in deep shit. Put your hands on your head and get down on your knees, you son of a bitch!"

Klaus smiled at her. "Such a feisty little girl you are. I can see why Damon is so smitten with you." He got up from where he was sitting, not at all fazed by the gun. "In fact, I'm rather smitten myself."

"Don't make me repeat myself, Klaus," said Elena, ignoring what he was saying. "I swear to God, if you don't do as I say, I'm going to shoot you."

Klaus said nothing, just smiled again and closed the distance between himself and Elena. He wasn't listening and Elena tried to move so that she at least had some space, but when Klaus got too close, she tried to defend herself with her fists. However, her efforts were in vain, because Klaus blocked her punch and grabbed her wrist, twisting it behind her back. He then ripped the chain off her neck that contained the tracking device, throwing it to the floor, and placed his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams.

"There, that's better," he said evilly. "Now, sweetheart, let's say we go for a little ride?"

Elena struggled against his hold as Klaus escaped with her out of her bedroom window, down the fire escape, and to an awaiting car. Elena had no idea where Klaus intended to take her, but she closed her eyes and prayed that Damon would come to her rescue.

_1 Hour Later..._

Damon climbed into the window. He had tried to call Elena on her cell phone, but she wasn't answering and, out of concern for her, went to her apartment to see if everything was okay. When he found the necklace on the floor, one thought came to mind: Klaus was here. The bastard! He had taken Elena. Shit, why couldn't he have put two and two together earlier? If Klaus found Elena, that meant he knew that he had been with her. Of course, that didn't concern him half as much as rescuing his beloved and putting an end to Klaus once and for all. He loved Elena too much to lose her to that asshole.

"She better not be harmed, Klaus," he growled as he climbed out of the window again and down the fire escape. "If I find that you've hurt so much as a hair on her hair, it'll be the last thing you ever do. I told you that I'm the only one who gets to touch Elena, and I meant it."

_Docks – That Same Moment..._

Elena could smell rotting fish as she came to. She looked all around and saw that she was in abandoned warehouse by the docks. She also saw that she was tied to a chair, and in her underwear. Klaus must've stripped her before tying her up. God, the thought of that bastard's hands on her was sickening. It also made her glad she was unconscious during the act.

"Ah, you're awake. I didn't want you to miss out on the fun we're going to be having."

Elena struggled against her bonds as she heard Klaus' voice. "You won't get away with this, Klaus. When Damon finds out about this, he's going to rip your balls off and shove them down your throat."

"Damon will be just a memory when I get through with you," said Klaus. "I found out that he lied to me the other night when he said he was out taking a walk and then went skinny dipping in some neighborhood pool. I traced his location to your apartment and I knew that the little bastard was holding out on me."

He approached her and kissed her, but Elena didn't like the way his breath smelled and bit his lip. Klaus roared out in pain and once Elena let go of his lip, he slapped her hard across her face, causing her nose to bleed.

"You little slut," he growled. "Nobody hits me like that and gets away with it! I'm going to have you a lesson in respect."

He was about to force her panties down when the sound of a handgun being readied stopped him. Elena looked behind Klaus and saw...

"Damon!"

"You little shit," said Klaus, slowly turning around. "How the hell did you find me?"

"It wasn't hard," said Damon. "I know this is where you and Rose have your little romps after you pick her up at the club." Growling, he said, "Let Elena go, Klaus. I told you that only I got to touch her, and you lied to me when you agreed. You weren't going to let me have her, were you? You wanted her to yourself."

"Very astute, Damon," said Klaus. "Slow, but astute."

"Damon, help me," said Elena. "He's insane."

Klaus turned to her and slapped her again. "Shut up, you whore!"

Damon growled at this. "Elena, duck!"

Elena ducked and Klaus turned around again, only to be shot in the head, falling to the floor. The shot killed him instantly and Damon, ignoring the bloody corpse, rushed to Elena and embraced her, kissing her passionately.

"Are you all right, _cara mia_? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No, not too bad," said Elena, returning his kiss. "I was scared, though. I thought he was going to kill me."

"Yeah, well, he's not going to hurt you ever again," said Damon. "He's dead now." He untied her and licked his lips as he saw her only in her underwear. "I know this sounds terribly forward of me because you went through such an ordeal, but..."

"Damon, you don't have to ask," said Elena. "I'd love to have sex with you."

Damon smirked. "Okay, but not here. It's not very romantic to have sex in the place you were held captive. How about we go to a hotel or something? Or maybe your place?"

Elena returned his smirk. "No, let's go to a hotel this time. We can go to my place any time."

Damon kissed her hotly as he scooped her up into his arms and carried her out of the warehouse, eager to be with her.

**Note: How's that for a twist, huh? Isn't having an evil imagination great? Well, next chapter will feature some Delena smut, so stay tuned!**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Wow, it's been quite a while since I last updated, huh? Well, have no fear, I'm now going to update "Cat and Mouse." Thank you to everyone who gave me feedback on Chapter 8. You guys rock! When we last left everyone, Elena was kidnapped by Klaus, but thankfully, Damon found them and saved the day. No spoilers, except the action takes place after Damon rescues Elena.**

_Shortly after Elena's Rescue..._

Damon practically flew into the hotel room that he had booked for them, closing the door and locking it behind them for privacy, after which he kissed Elena hungrily, running his hands up and down her body. Elena returned his kiss and moaned against his mouth as their tongues collided, feeling her heart racing with every kiss that he gave her.

Pulling back slightly, Damon whispered against her lips, "I'm so glad you're safe, _cara mia_. I don't know what I would've done if that son of a bitch killed you."

Elena nodded. "I was so scared, Damon. I thought I would never see you again."

"I was scared too," he replied. "But, all that is over now, and you're back with me where you belong." He kissed her throat. "I don't know about you, but I think I'd like to give that bed a spin. It looks so inviting and I would hate for it to go to waste."

"Make love to me, Damon," said Elena. "Make all this shit I experienced go away."

Damon smiled against her throat. "Your wish is my command."

He picked her up bridal style and carried her over to bed, laying her down gently and kissing her passionately, reaching behind her and undoing the clasps of her bra, kissing and caressing her breasts as he freed them from their prison. Elena panted as she felt his hot breath on her skin and let out a scream of pleasure. God, how she missed this, and never wanted the feeling of ecstasy she was feeling at this moment to end.

Damon smirked as he heard her scream. He continued to kiss the valley between her breasts and gently slid her panties down her legs, letting his fingers play with her clit while he felt himself starting to get hard. Elena let out another pleasurable scream as she felt what he was doing.

Smirking again, Damon kissed her inner thigh. "You like that, baby?"

Elena nodded. "Oh God, yes!"

Feeling himself getting hard to the point of pain, Damon threw off his leather jacket, followed by his black T-shirt, dark blue jeans, and boxers, driving himself into her, groaning at her tight, wet heat. Oh, he was definitely going to show her how much he loved her. He kissed her hungrily as he began to thrust into her, slowly at first, and gradually picked up speed. Elena moaned against his lips as she ran her hands across his chest, down his arms, back and down to his ass, which she cupped with her hands. Damon let out a muffled scream as he felt her hands on his ass and left her lips to trail kisses down her jawline to her ear, licking it playfully before heading to her neck, kissing and nibbling the flesh with his teeth.

"Naughty, naughty, angel," he said against her neck. "But, I like the feel of your hands on my ass."

Elena panted. "I couldn't resist it, just like I couldn't resist anything else about this gorgeous body of yours."

Damon smiled as he kissed her neck again. He grabbed her hips as he began to thrust even faster. After a few minutes, Elena wanted to take over their play, so she rolled over so that she was on top, riding him hard and fast. Damon moaned as he moved in time with her gyrations. He found that he liked when she took over, because she was quite an aggressive woman, and he liked aggressive women. They always made such ideal lovers because they weren't afraid to take the lead.

Elena threw her head back and let out a scream of pleasure, Damon following suit a few seconds later. The heat between them was incredible and it seemed like the temperature in the room went up about ten or twenty degrees with every minute that passed since their play began. Of course, neither of them noticed or cared. The only thing that they were concerned with was basking in the glow of their love and making the memory of what happened with Klaus disappear from their minds.

_2 Hours Later..._

Damon kissed Elena's neck as he spooned up behind her. They had spent the past two hours making love and it was the best two hours of their lives. Elena entwined her fingers with his, enjoying the feel of his body against hers.

"That was amazing, Damon."

Damon kissed her shoulder. "It was, wasn't it? Something tells me that it's just going to get even better from here."

Elena moaned as she felt him kissing her shoulder. "Not to change the subject, but there's still the matter of what to do about the fact that you're still wanted for the murder of all of those girls."

Hearing her say that, Damon nodded. That was an interesting dilemma indeed. He was still a wanted man, so that would make things difficult. Just then, his blue eyes widened as he got an idea.

"I think there's a way to rectify that."

"Really?" said Elena. "What is it?"

"We blame them all on Klaus," said Damon. "I mean, the medical examiner found his DNA on those girls' bodies, right? So, that DNA could be used to blame all of the murders on Klaus."

"That's true," said Elena. "But, you strangled them, those bruises on their necks came from your hands."

"I was getting to that," said Damon. "You can say that Klaus made me strangle them, that I was merely an innocent guy until Klaus kidnapped me and forced me to work for him. I didn't even want to be a criminal, that life was forced upon me."

Elena blinked. "And were you?"

Damon nodded. "Actually, that part is true. I'm not really not as violent a killer as they're saying I am. Like I said, Klaus kidnapped me and forced me to become his accomplice or he'd kill me. So, I did everything he told me to do. When I first saw you, I found my salvation, but I had to keep the facade. So, the fact that the murders were used to get your attention was true. I wanted you to save me from Klaus, and you have, in more ways than one."

Elena bit her lip. Damon was innocent all along and Klaus was just using him? "I had no idea. Oh, Damon, can you ever forgive me for the way I treated you before this?"

"You don't have to apologize," said Damon. "You were just doing your job, and I completely understand that." He kissed her shoulder. "The thing I didn't have to lie about was loving you. I really do love you, Elena, have been since I first saw you."

"And the tracking device? What about that?"

"I really did give it to you to protect you," said Damon. "You mean the world to me and I couldn't risk you dying at Klaus' hands, so if you wore the tracking device, at least I'd be able to find you in time to save you."

Elena rolled over to face him and Damon saw that tears were streaming down her face and he kissed them away. "Honey, please don't cry. It hurts me to see you cry."

"I couldn't help it," said Elena. "You went through all that hell and I didn't see it until now." She kissed his forehead. "I love you so much, Damon, and I should've known that you were reaching out to me. Some detective I am, I couldn't see the signs in front of me."

Damon kissed her softly. "Don't ever say that about yourself again. You're a great detective, Elena. That's one of the things I love the most about you. You're fierce, determined, beautiful, smart, and dead sexy."

Elena forced a smile at that. Although she still partially blamed herself for not putting two and two together, she decided that it would do her no good to beat herself up over it. After all, she had saved him from Klaus, like he saved her earlier.

**Note: Better late than never, huh? I would've done this sooner, but real life and other writings got in the way. But, here for your reading pleasure, Chapter 9 of "Cat and Mouse."**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

**Note: Okay, my lovelies, I'm going to now update "Cat and Mouse." I re-read Chapter 9 so that I know where I left off and how best to continue. Thank you to everyone who sent me feedback. You guys are the best! When we last left everyone, Damon and Elena have a steamy reunion and Damon reveals that he was innocent all along, and that Klaus made him kill those girls. No spoilers, except the action in this chapter takes place the next day.**

_Office of District Attorney Alaric Saltzman – Next Day_

Elena sighed as she walked off the elevator. She was here to see Alaric Saltzman, the District Attorney, about clearing Damon's name. She was thinking about she found out yesterday and that Damon wasn't responsible for the murders at all, that Klaus forced him to do it.

No sooner did she get there than her cell phone rang. Seeing Damon's cell number on the ID, she picked up. "Damon, you really shouldn't be calling me."

"And since when did I care about timing?"

"Good point, but you still shouldn't be calling me here," said Elena. "I'm about to walk into the office of the District Attorney and ask him to drop all the charges against you. Then, I was planning on calling you and telling you the result of my meeting with him."

"You can still call me with the results," said Damon. "Think of this as a call to wish you good luck."

Elena smiled. "Thank you, Damon. I think I'm going to need a lot of good luck right now, because, judging from how long you were Klaus' hostage/accomplice, you probably have a rap sheet that's half a mile long and clearing your name isn't going to be easy."

There was a pause after that until Damon said, "Listen to me, okay? I have faith in you, Elena. If anyone is going to get this resolved, it's you. I know you, you don't give up for anything."

Elena nodded. It was nice to know that he had confidence in her. He truly did love her, or he wouldn't be telling her this right now.

"I appreciate your faith in me, Damon," she said. "I promise you, I will clear your name. I love you and whatever it takes, I'll fight for you, for us. Once you're able to live a normal life again, we can truly be together."

"You have no idea how much I'd like that," said Damon. "I never want to be without you."

"That feeling is mutual," said Elena. "I'd hate to cut this call short, but I don't want to keep Alaric waiting. I'll call you later."

"It's okay, just do what you have to do," said Damon. "I'll keep myself busy." Seeing that she was about to say something further, he added, "Don't worry, I promise that I'll stay out of trouble."

Elena sighed and after telling him she loved him, she hung up and walked into the office. Upon entry, she saw a woman with short, curly blond hair and blue eyes sitting at the front desk. Wasting no time, Elena approached the woman and showed her badge.

"Detective Gilbert here to see Alaric Saltzman."

"I'll let him know you're here, Detective," said the blond. "Just have a seat."

Nodding, Elena took a seat and waited as the woman went about her task. Sighing, she tapped the arm rest on the chair, all the while thinking about the phone call from Damon. She couldn't get over how much faith he had in her to help him. Guess he didn't really have anyone he could truly trust, since he had gone through hell when he was with Klaus, and Elena was the first person he opened up to.

After a few minutes, Alaric himself appeared. "Hello, Elena. This is an unexpected surprise."

"I know that my timing is probably way off, Ric, but this is really important."

"Come on in," said Alaric. "We can discuss the matter in my office. I mean, I would talk about it here, but sometimes, walls have ears." He gave a look to the blond. "I didn't get to be the District Attorney by trusting people fully."

Elena said nothing, just nodded and followed Alaric to his office, where she shut the door behind her and cleared her throat, hoping to cut straight to the chase, having not been one to beat around the bush.

"Ric, I realize that you've got a lot of shit going on right now and this is probably not something you're expecting to hear," she said. "But, like I said, it's important."

"Yeah, you did say that," said Alaric. "What does it pertain to?"

"The Damon Salvatore case."

"Did you catch him yet?"

"I think he's innocent," said Elena. "No, scratch that, I know he's innocent. The real murderer was a man by the name of Klaus. True, Damon's fingerprints were on the throats of those girls, but Klaus is the one you should've been after and not Damon."

"How do you know he's innocent?" said Alaric. "Has he been in contact with you?"

Elena hesitated. She didn't want to tell Alaric that she and Damon had also been having sex. Nodding, she said, "You could say that, yes. He told me that Klaus was using him to commit those crimes. If you don't believe me, have someone go to the docks and they'll find Klaus' body in one of the warehouses."

"Wait, Klaus' body?" said Alaric. "You mean he's dead?"

"Yes," said Elena. "Damon killed him." She gulped. "To save me. Klaus kidnapped me and was about to rape me, but Damon killed him."

She wasn't lying, Klaus really did try to rape her, and because she was tied up, she was defenseless. If Damon hadn't shown up, she also would've been murdered.

When she saw that Alaric was suddenly quiet, she said, "Ric, please say something. I swear to God that I'm not making any of this up. I mean, why would I lie about something as serious as being kidnapped and nearly raped?"

"Oh, I believe you," he replied. "But, what I'm having a hard time believing is the fact that you're telling that Damon Salvatore is innocent."

"Another thing I'm not making up," said Elena. "Ric, please, I'm asking you as a friend to drop the charges against Damon. He's just as much a victim as the girls Klaus made him kill. Instead of punishing him for something that wasn't even his fault, you should be working to help him."

Alaric nodded. "Very well, Elena, I'll see what I can do about dropping the charges." He sighed. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"I do," said Elena. "After what he's been through, Damon deserves to live a normal life."

She didn't give him a chance to answer and walked out of the office, hopeful that things would go her way.

_Elena's Apartment – 2 Hours Later..._

Elena let out a sigh as she walked into her apartment and no sooner did she walk in than she heard a knock at the window. Seeing that it was Damon, she hurried over and opened it, closing it afterward. She wasn't expecting to see him, since she had been planning to call him.

Regardless, she embraced him and kissed him, her heart pounding. Damon returned her kiss and placed one hand on the small of her back and the other on her chest, feeling how fast her heart was beating. He pulled away then.

"Are you okay, love? Your heart is pounding."

"I'm fine, just anxious to see you," she replied. "It took some convincing, but I got Alaric to drop the charges against you."

"Did you tell him that Klaus made me kill those girls?"

"Yes," said Elena. "I even told him you killed him to save me."

Damon nodded and was about to say something when the door opened and in walked Caroline. When she saw Elena in Damon's arms, she screamed out in panic. Getting out of the embrace, Elena went over to her friend and placed her hand over her mouth to stop the screaming.

"Caroline, listen to me," she said. "Damon wasn't hurting me. He's not the one who killed those girls, Klaus was. He made Damon kill them after threatening him with death. Now, I'm going to take my hand away. Are you going to calm down?"

Caroline looked over at Damon and then back at Elena, nodding. Elena removed her hand and to her surprise (and relief), Caroline didn't scream again. Instead, she looked at her with an incredulous look.

"You really believe that he's innocent, Elena?"

"Yes," she replied. "In fact, I was at Ric's office, convincing him to drop the charges."

"I figured as much when I saw you walking out." She looked at Damon again. "Do you think we can trust him? He isn't going to hurt us, is he?"

"No," said Damon, answering the question for Elena. "I can assure you, Caroline, that I wouldn't dream of harming you. Besides, I don't answer to Klaus anymore."

Caroline said nothing further, just nodded. Although she didn't know what to make of this, she trusted Elena's judgment on this. After all, she had never been wrong about anything, so there was a good chance that she was right a bout Damon being innocent.

**Note: Granted, this isn't as long as Chapter 17 of "In Session," but hey, it's an update. :)**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. The story is the only thing I own. If did own the Vampire Diaries, Damon and Elena would be together.**

**Note: Yeah, I know I'm behind on the updates for "Cat and Mouse," but I was busy with other writings and real life stuff. But, because I have a moment now, I'm going to go ahead with the update. Thank you for the wonderful reviews. You guys rock! When we last left everyone, Elena gets Alaric Saltzman, the District Attorney, to drop the charges against Damon. No spoilers, except the action takes place that evening.**

_That Evening..._

A wine bottle and two glasses filled half way up with wine rested near the tub as Damon and Elena shared a bubble bath, enjoying his freedom together. Damon held Elena close to him, kissing her lips and then moving down to her neck, reaching down and playing with her clit under the water. Elena moaned and then let out a scream of pleasure as she felt what he was doing to her. The things that man could do to her body was unbelievable and it made her smile knowing that they finally got to be together, without having to worry about him being on the run all the time. Of course, she would still have to work, and she was going to go back to the Special Victims Unit starting next week.

Damon chuckled against her neck. "I'm going to love hearing you scream for me, _amore mia_."

Elena panted and trembled. "And _I'm_ going to love hearing you saying things to me in Italian." She sighed. "Oh God, Damon, I love you so much."

Damon licked his lips as he then got an idea, removing his fingers from her clit and straddling her onto his lap, his cock impaling her. "Ride me, Elena. Grind yourself against me, set me free. Only you can make me really feel free. Do it, love, send me to a new high."

Elena licked her lips as well and kissed him as she gyrated her hips against Damon's hips, moving her hands up to run her fingers through his damp hair, one arm wrapping itself around his neck. Damon returned her kiss and let his hands roam all over her body, exploring her every curve as he kept in time with her gyrations with his thrusts. He felt free, even more than he did a few hours ago.

He pulled away from her lips and let out a pleasurable scream of his own. Damn, she worked wonders on him and he thanked God that he had such a wonderful woman like her in his life after all the shit he went through with Klaus.

Elena smiled and kissed his neck, whispering against it, "You like that?"

Damon panted, the effects of that last orgasm causing him to convulse slightly. "Like it? I love it! You're amazing, Elena!"

Elena laughed and kissed his neck again. "Oh, I don't want to take all the credit. You're pretty amazing yourself."

That being said, she gyrated even harder and faster, feeling a wave of wave flowing through her body like an electric current. She didn't know how she ever got by before she met Damon. True, she had a few dates with a few of the young men in the Special Victims Unit, but they didn't have the kind of appeal that Damon did. No, Damon was special, and she would never let him go, not for anything. He deserved to be loved and she would love him as fiercely as possible.

It didn't take long before Elena threw her head back and screamed out in pleasure again, the heat rising faster than she ever imagined. She knew that Damon was making her feel like this and if it took the rest of her life, she'd be more than willing to express her gratitude.

_2 Hours Later..._

Damon spooned up behind Elena, kissing her shoulder. They had gotten out of the tub when the water in the tub got colder and continued their play in Elena's bed. Elena entwined her fingers with his and sighed happily.

"There's a never dull moment with you, is there?"

Damon ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her shoulder again. "No, definitely not. I never knew freedom would feel this good and it's even better because I have you to share it with."

Elena then detected that his voice sounded a bit more serious at the end of that last statement and turned slightly to look at him. "Are you okay? You sounded different just then."

Damon sighed. "I'd be lying if I said yes. The thing is, I don't have a home anymore. I lost that when Klaus kidnapped me. And, because I've been gone for so long, my family thinks I'm dead. I wouldn't be surprised if they've planned my funeral already."

"If you want, I can help you get in contact with them," said Elena. "I'm a detective and I help people find loved ones all the time."

Damon smiled. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to," said Elena. "I want you to be happy, Damon. I love you." She turned to face him, kissing him softly. "You've done so much for me, and I want to do something for you. I know that I already helped you get your freedom back, but maybe I can help you get your family back too, and maybe I can meet them in the process."

"You're too good to me, Elena," said Damon, returning her kiss. "I don't know what I did to deserve you." He kissed her again. "Well, if this is what you want to do, then I won't stop you. You really are my angel."

Elena smiled and kissed him again. She honestly didn't know how she was going to find Damon's family, let alone contact them, but for the man she loved, she would do anything.

**Note: Better late than never, huh? I tell you, I had to rewrite this chapter several times before it was up to par. It was kicking my ass. But, I finally was able to get it to where I wanted it. Will Elena be able to help Damon find his family? And what will she learn about her lover in the process of her search? Find out in the next thrilling installment of "Cat and Mouse"!**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story belongs to me.**

**Note: Hey, guys! Wow, it's been a while since I last updated, huh? Well, since I'm here, I thought I'd update "Cat and Mouse." Thank you for the reviews you've given me so far! You guys are awesome! When we last left everyone, Damon and Elena celebrated Damon's freedom and Elena tells Damon that she will help him find his family. No spoilers, except the action takes place a week later.**

_Special Victims Unit Squad Room – 1 Week Later..._

Elena exhaled as she placed the box of files on her desk. She had gone to the archive room to get some old case files that might help her in her quest to help Damon find his family. Their conversation still rang fresh in her mind and she was determined to help him, no matter what. She loved him with everything she had and she wanted him to be happy. Not only that, but she also wanted to meet his family once she found them and tell them what a remarkable young man she thought Damon was and how special he was to her.

"'Salvatore'? I thought that case was closed?"

Tyler's question brought Elena out of her reverie at that moment. He must've gotten curious about the box on her desk. Of course, Elena couldn't blame him for his curiosity, since he was a detective, like she was.

"It is," she replied. "I'm just looking through the archives to find information. I'm helping Damon find his family, since he hasn't seen them since Klaus forced him to be his accomplice in his crimes."

Tyler nodded. "How noble of you. Though, I hope that you're not too disappointed if you don't find anything."

"Thanks," said Elena. "I'm hoping I'm not too disappointed either." She sighed. "Damon's been through so much hell and I want to do everything in my power to help him. He's come to mean more to me than anything in the short time that I've known him and he deserves some degree of happiness."

"I see," said Tyler. "And what will you say to his family when you find them? They're going to ask you all kinds of questions."

"I'll tell them what a remarkable young man Damon is and how special he is to me," said Elena. "If they want to know how I know him, I'll tell him that I'm his girlfriend. Granted, I wanted to arrest him in the beginning, but that all changed when he told me that Klaus was going to betray him and I was going to become his target."

Tyler nodded. "Still, I hope that you're not disappointed if your search comes up empty. I mean, these files are kind of old, probably dating back to when Damon was a teenager."

"I don't care," said Elena. "I'm doing this for Damon, Tyler, and I won't let anything get in the way of that."

Tyler said nothing to that, knowing that it was pointless to argue with Elena once she set her mind on something. She was a stubborn and tenacious woman and over the time that he had known her, he had seen quite a bit of that stubbornness and tenacity seep through. Without a word, he walked away, leaving her to her task.

Once he was gone, Elena opened the box and began to sort through the files. As she looked through them, she saw that Tyler was right. A lot of the files were old and she wondered if she was ever going to find what she was looking for.

"How's the search going?"

Elena looked up from the papers to see Damon standing front of her desk. "Damon, what are you doing here?"

"I thought I'd see how my sexy little detective is doing," he replied. "So, having any luck?"

"Well, there's a lot of folders to go through," said Elena. "Most of the records in here are probably back as far back as when you were a teenager." She gave him a curious look. "Unless that's when Klaus took you from your family?"

"It was, unfortunately," said Damon. "I was fifteen and barely begun to explore the world and all of that was taken from me the day that asshole came into my life. I tried to get away from him, but he threatened to kill my family if I didn't do exactly as he said."

"So, he didn't threaten just you with death then?"

"No," said Damon. "Sorry I didn't mention that before." He sighed. "Would you like me to help you look through my file? I'll bet the search will go much faster if you had help."

Elena smiled. "I'd like that." She gave him a seductive wink. "Maybe after we're done, we can go back to my place and have some romantic time. How does that sound?"

Damon felt himself getting hard at the seductive tone in her voice. Shit, the effect Elena had on him was definitely strong, and he found himself falling more and more in love with her at that moment. He licked his lips at the prospect of having his love naked with him again.

"I'd say you've got yourself a deal, _cara mia_," he said, an eager glint in his eyes. "Let's get started."

Elena licked her lips as well and handed him a folder. Damon took a seat in the wooden chair across from her desk, looking up at Elena every two or three seconds, tempted to shove all of the papers off the desk and taking her right here and now, not giving a shit if anyone saw them.

Elena felt his eyes on her and trembled slightly. Her heart then hammered in her chest, knowing that he was tempted to have sex with her on her desk and not give a shit about anyone seeing them. Such a thought was tempting for her too, as much as she tried to convince herself to think about the task before her. Suddenly, she came across something in the file she was looking in.

"Damon, I think I found where your family is."

Damon looked at her. "You did? Where are they?"

"It would seem they moved to Atlanta."

"Atlanta?" said Damon. "When did they move there?"

"I guess it was recently, since there's a Sticky Note here," said Elena. "It has on here the address, as well as a phone number to reach them." She felt her heart hammer again. "Damon, I...I can't believe that we've found something on our first try."

"Yeah, how lucky is that?" said Damon. "Are you going to call the number?"

"I guess so," said Elena. "I mean, we've come this far, right? Couldn't hurt to take a stab at it, figuratively speaking, of course." She bit her lip and picked up the phone, her hand trembling. "If all goes well, we'll be seeing your family."

Damon said nothing to that, just nodded and watched as Elena dialed the number. His heart skipped several beats and he couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. After all, he had told her that they thought he was dead because he had been gone so long.

Elena reached across the desk and took his hand, not giving a shit if her own was still trembling. There were several rings before she finally heard a male voice on the other end.

"Hello?"

Elena gulped and said, "Is this the Salvatore residence?"

"It is," the voice replied. "This is Stefan Salvatore. Who's this?"

"This is Detective Gilbert, Stefan," said Elena. "I was looking through some case files concerning a Damon Salvatore and I..."

"Wait, did you say Damon Salvatore?"

"I did."

"But, how do you know my brother?"

"I'm his girlfriend," said Elena. "You'll be pleased to know that he's alive. He's also free from Klaus' control."

There was silence on the other end and Elena wondered if Stefan even heard what she said, or if he thought she was just spouting out bullshit. God, she hoped it was the first thing and not the second one. She had come too far to be discouraged now.

"Stefan? Are you there?"

"Yeah," he replied. "I'm sorry, it's just that it's been a long time since I heard my brother's name. My parents hardly ever mention him anymore. In fact, my mother and I moved here to Atlanta shortly after my father left her for another woman."

"Oh God, I'm sorry," said Elena. "I had no idea."

"It's fine, really," said Stefan. "Now, you say you're Damon's girlfriend?"

"Yes," said Elena. "As I mentioned earlier, I'm also a detective."

"I got that," said Stefan. "Would it be too much trouble for you to come out to Atlanta so that we can meet? I mean, if you're busy with other cases, I'll understand."

"No, it's fine," said Elena. "I was actually going to ask if I can come out." She looked at Damon, still clutching his hand. "I'll bring Damon with me. I'm sure you'd like to see him again, since you were worried about him all of this time."

"Oh, definitely," said Stefan. "When would you like to come out?"

"Would tomorrow be too soon?"

"No, tomorrow is fine," said Stefan. "I'm looking forward to meeting you, Detective Gilbert."

"Me too," said Elena. "But, please, call me Elena."

"Right, sorry," said Stefan. "Well, Elena, I'll see you tomorrow."

Elena nodded and hung up, letting out a sigh of relief as she looked at Damon. "Well, looks like we're going to Atlanta tomorrow. How's that for good luck?"

"That's wonderful," said Damon. "Though, I had a feeling that my parents weren't going to last. They were having problems even before Klaus took me, so it didn't come to any surprise to me to hear that my father left my mother for someone else."

Elena nodded again. She squeezed his hand and smiled at him. "I believe this calls for a celebration, wouldn't you agree?"

"Oh, definitely," said Damon. "Though, I don't think I'm going to last long enough to get back to the apartment. Got anywhere closer? Like a bathroom or something?"

Elena licked her lips. She was sure that they could sneak into the bathroom. Plus, she could lock it from the inside so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

"Funny you should mention that," she said. "I think we can slip into the bathroom."

Damon said nothing to that, just got up from the chair and pulled her toward the bathroom and they slipped inside. Surprisingly, it was big enough for them. Elena pushed the door shut and locked it before throwing herself into Damon's arms, kissing him hotly. Damon returned her kiss and unbuttoned her blouse, his hard erection rubbing against her core. Elena moaned against his mouth, letting her tongue dance against his. Damon left her lips to trail kisses down her jawline, to her earlobe, nibbling it gently with his teeth, to her neck. Once he got the last button of her blouse opened, he slipped the blouse off and threw it on the floor, undoing the clasps of her bra, caressing her breasts. Elena panted and pulled his T-shirt up over his head, throwing it on the floor next to her blouse.

Damon undid the button and zipper of her jeans and pulled them down, along with her panties and knelt down before her, spreading her legs and kissed her inner thigh before sticking his fingers into her clit, playing with it. Elena grabbed onto his hair and arched her back as she felt what he was doing. She knew he was getting her ready for him. She let out a cry of pleasure, making Damon even harder than he was a few minutes ago and unless he had her now, he'd go insane. Taking his fingers out of her clit, he licked them. Shit, she was soaking. Getting to his feet, he undid the button and zipper of his jeans, pulling them down quickly, along with his boxers and drove himself into her, groaning at how tight and hot she was, kissing her neck and moving down to her breasts, licking the nipples with his tongue.

Elena arched her back and dug her nails into his shoulders, crying out in pleasure again. Damon then grasped her hips, thrusting hard and fast, Elena gyrating in time with his thrusts.

Panting, Elena said, "I love you, Damon."

Damon smiled against her breast. "I love you too, Elena. Now and forever. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me."

Elena panted again. "Isn't that what you're doing now? Thanking me?"

"I guess you're right," said Damon. "Then, prepare to be thanked a million times over, _amore mia_."

With that being said, he continued to thrust, letting out a pleasurable cry of his own. God, how he loved this dark-haired angel in his arms at that moment. She was everything to him, and he intended to show her the extent of his love for her.

**Note: Better late than never, huh? Well, here's Chapter 12 of "Cat and Mouse," complete with some Delena smut for my fans (and myself) to enjoy. Stay tuned for the next chapter!**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**

**P.S. Happy 23rd Birthday, Nina Dobrev! Thank you for being in the world! You're super talented and awesome! 3**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

**Note: Hey, guys! I'm going to do the next chapter of "Cat and Mouse," since it's been a while since I last updated. Thank you for the reviews! You guys rock! No spoilers, except the action takes place the next day.**

_Atlanta, Georgia – Next Day..._

Elena looked over at Damon, who was gazing out of the window at the scenery that was zooming by them as they drove. He hadn't said much since they started out on their trip, which was probably due to the fact that he was nervous about seeing his family again after not seeing them since he was fifteen. Making sure that there were no other cars on the road, Elena pulled over and killed the engine, grabbing his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Damon, you have nothing to be nervous about," she said. "I'm going to be right there with you."

"I know you are," he replied. "I just don't know what I'm going to say to them. What do you say to people you haven't seen since you were fifteen years old?"

"I know that it's not going to be easy. Not all reunions are," said Elena. "I've seen it many times with kidnap victims who are seeing their families for the first time since they were taken." She then placed both hands on his face and kissed him. "Just try not to dwell on the negative. Focus on something that has made you happy, such as when you kissed me for the first time, or the first time we had sex."

Damon smiled at her words. He remembered both of those things very fondly and he doubted that he would ever forget them either. He returned her kiss and moaned against her mouth as their tongues danced. After a few minutes, he pulled away and looked into her brown eyes with his blue ones.

"I'll definitely focus on those two."

Elena smiled. "Good." She kissed him again. "Everything is going to be fine, Damon. As I said before, I'm going to be right there with you. I'm not going to let you do this alone. I love you, Damon."

"I love you too, angel," said Damon. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Try not to think about it, okay?" said Elena. "It'll ruin the moment."

Damon chuckled and kissed her again. "I won't. I'd rather think about you."

That being said, Elena started the engine again and they continued the trek toward the address that Elena had found in the folder. Stefan had sent her an email with directions to the house last night so that she would be able to find it. So far, the directions had been helpful and Elena was looking forward to this little meeting. Even though she had met with thousands of families whose loved ones had gone missing and a majority of said meetings often didn't go well, Elena viewed this one as special, because it concerned the man she loved.

_Home of Elisabetta Salvatore – That Afternoon..._

Several more hours of driving brought Damon and Elena to a quaint little house. It looked decent for a single mother to raise her family in, because it was in a good neighborhood and it had good schools. Upon stepping out of the car, Damon and Elena held hands as they went up the walk toward the house. As they did so, Elena looked around at how the yard was decorated, noticing little garden gnomes and deer statues. The lawn was well maintained and the flowers were absolutely beautiful.

Upon arriving at the door, Elena knocked and within a few minutes, Stefan answered. He smiled when he saw Damon, came outside and hugged him.

"Thank God you're alive," he said. "Mom never gave up hope of seeing you again. Dad denied it, but she always knew that you'd come back."

Damon reluctantly returned Stefan's hug, letting go of Elena's hand for a moment. He smiled himself, tears stinging his eyes. _I guess I was wrong about them thinking I was dead,_ he thought. _Apparently, I was missed._

"It's good to see you again, Stefan," he said finally. "You've grown since I've been gone."

"Well, it's kind of mandatory of children," said Stefan. "So, yeah, I guess I have grown." He stepped back and smiled at Elena. "Hey, Elena. It's good to finally meet you. Were the directions I sent okay?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, they were fine. Thank you." She cleared her throat. "This is a very nice place you've got here. How long have you guys been living here?"

"Not long, about a year," said Stefan. "Mom didn't want to stay at our old place, because it contained too many bad memories of Dad's betrayal. Now, I'm not saying that I agree with what he did, mind you, because infidelity is inexcusable, but..."

"No, it's okay, I get it," said Elena. "She wanted to start over and Atlanta seemed like the perfect place for it."

Stefan nodded. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure," said Elena. "I'd like to meet your mother. She sounds like a great woman in spite of what happened to her before you guys moved here." She looked at Damon. "I'm pretty sure that Damon missed her as much as he missed you. Right, Damon?"

Damon nodded. "Right." As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and fingered the small box that he had placed in before he and Elena left for Atlanta. He had every intention of giving what was in the box to Elena later. Thankfully, neither Elena nor Stefan noticed what he was doing.

"It's settled then," said Stefan. "Come on in. I'll let Mom know you guys are here."

Elena nodded, took Damon's hand, and the two of them followed Stefan into the house. Damon was half anxious to see his mother again and half nervous. After all, he hadn't seen her since he was fifteen, and he wasn't sure if he remembered what she looked like. The only features he really remembered were the black hair and blue eyes he inherited from her.

A few minutes later, Elisabetta Salvatore herself appeared in the hallway. When she saw Damon, tears of happiness stung her eyes and she went toward her eldest son, hugging him and showered his face with kisses. Damon made no attempt to fight her off, because he knew that she was only doing this out of happiness.

"Damon, my angel boy, you're alive," she said. "I never believed Guiseppe when he said that you were never coming back. I always knew that I'd see you again. I never lost faith, not even for a second."

"That's great, Mom," he replied. "It's good to know that you didn't give up on me." He stepped back and presented Elena to her. "Mom, this is Elena Gilbert, the love of my life. Elena, this is my mother, Elisabetta Salvatore."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Elisabetta," said Elena. "Your son is a very special young man and I love him more than anything in the world."

"It's nice to meet you too, Elena," said Elisabetta. "I'm so glad that Damon has someone like you in his life. You're good for him and I can tell that he loves you very much." She hugged her. "You truly are an angel, my dear."

Elena smiled and returned Damon's mother's hug. She liked her already and wondered what it would be like to have her as a mother-in-law.

_That evening..._

Damon held Elena close on the porch swing as they gazed at the stars. It was a beautiful night and it was ideal for a couple like them to be alone like this. Elisabetta and Stefan were cleaning up from the dinner, allowing them to have their privacy. It was quiet until Elena spoke.

"Your family is very nice, Damon," she said. "I really like them."

Damon smiled. "Yeah, they're good people." He looked at her. "They like you too. My mother said that you were good for me, and I agree with her. You're the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't regret falling in love with you." He reached into his pocket again. "Now that we're alone, there's something I want to ask you."

Elena blinked. "What is it, Damon?"

Damon carefully got off the swing and got down on one knee, taking Elena's hand in his, kissing her knuckles before he said, "Elena, the moment I saw you, I knew that you were the one I would spend my life with. True, it was a bit of a rough start, but as we went along, the love I had for you multiplied. You are my angel, my love, and the best friend I could ask for. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you'll have me." He took the small box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a diamond ring. "Elena Gilbert, will you marry me?"

Elena couldn't breathe as she looked at the ring. It was so beautiful, just like his proposal and there was no way she could possibly say no to that, not when she loved him with everything she had.

Finally, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she said, "Yes, Damon Salvatore, I will marry you."

Damon smiled and got to his feet, lifting her off the swing and kissing her before setting her back on the ground. "I love you, Elena."

Elena returned his kiss. "I love you too, Damon. I'll always love you."

**Note: Yeah, this chapter was kicking my ass, but thankfully, I got the flow to where I wanted it. How's that for an update, huh? Thought I'd include a Delena proposal. Don't you just love me?**

**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Hey, guys, I'm now going to update "Cat and Mouse," since the last time I really updated it was January 29. Well, thanks to a request from taekwongirl360 after she reviewed "A Royal Union," I finally decided to update it. Thank to everyone who sent me reviews thus far. You guys rock! When we last left everyone, Damon reunited with his family, after which he proposed to Elena. No spoilers, except the action in this chapter takes place the next evening.**_

_Elena's Apartment – The Next Evening..._

"Oh God, Elena, that ring is so beautiful!"

Caroline was gushing over the engagement ring after Elena showed it to her. Damon smiled as he stood nearby, sipping a cup of tea. He knew that Elena wasn't going to keep the news of their engagement to herself, but he also wasn't about to deprive her of showing off the ring. That was the reason he gave it to her, so that she could show it off with pride. Speaking of, his heart was bursting with pride knowing that he and Elena were going to be married. Hell, even his mother and Stefan were thrilled when he told them the news.

"I know, I can't stop staring at it," said Elena. "Caroline, would you be my maid of honor?"

"You know I wouldn't say no to that," said Caroline. "What are best friends for?" She looked at Damon. "I'm pretty sure that Tyler wouldn't mind being Damon's best man. Unless, of course, the position has already been filled by someone else?"

"He kind of already gave that position to his brother," said Elena. "But, Tyler can still be involved. We could always use an usher."

"Speaking of," said Caroline. "What's Damon's brother like? Is he hot?"

Elena raised an eyebrow. "I don't know, I didn't pay much attention. Besides, why do you want to know? You're dating Tyler." She looked at her friend curiously. "You _are_ dating Tyler, right?"

Caroline hesitated. Did she dare mention the big blow-up between her and Tyler the day before? She didn't want to shed any negativity on her friend's excitement by mentioning something that happened while she and Damon were in Atlanta.

Damon looked up from his mug. "Caroline, aren't you going to answer Elena's question?"

"Well, okay, if you really want to know, I'll tell you," said Caroline. "Tyler and I got into a fight while you guys were in Atlanta. See, I caught him making out with Anna and..."

"Anna?" said Elena. "The medical examiner?"

Caroline nodded. "Yeah, and it pissed me off, Lena. I thought Tyler and I were going to be together forever and he has to go and pull shit like this on me. Well, if that's what he's into, then I don't want any part of it. Let him go, I say."

Damon and Elena looked at each other and Elena said, "Caroline, I'm so sorry. I mean, you're pissed because of something Tyler did and Damon and I are being selfish by planning our wedding."

"No, it's okay, really," said Caroline. "Helping you with your wedding plans will actually take my mind off of the bullshit with Tyler. I want you to be the best damn bride at your wedding, Elena, and I don't care about my current situation."

With that, she got up from the table and went to her room. Damon sat down after Caroline left, a concerned look on his face.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

Elena sighed. "I don't know, I hope so. Caroline and Tyler have been dating for about three years now and they've had their ups and downs. I just never imagined that something like this would be the thing that drives them apart." She looked at Damon. "You would never do that to me, would you, Damon?"

"No, of course not," said Damon. "Elena, I love you and only you. I would _never_ make you doubt my love for you." He smirked. "If you need more convincing, I'd be more than happy to prove it."

Elena was about to say something when she was silenced by a scorching kiss, which set fire to her blood. She immediately returned the kiss, running his fingers through his hair. Damon deepened the kiss, exploring her mouth with his tongue. After a few minutes, they pulled away, staring into each other's eyes.

Panting, Elena said, "I love you, Damon. I'm sorry if it sounded like I doubted it, I just..."

Damon placed his index finger on her lips. "No, angel, don't apologize. You were concerned because of what happened between Caroline and Tyler, and I understand. But, I promise you, you don't have to worry about that ever happening to us, because like I said, I love you and only you."

Elena smiled against his finger and kissed it. "Make love to me, Damon."

Damon returned her smile. "As you wish, _amore mia_."

He stood up, taking her hand and escorting her down the hall to their room. When they got there, they closed the door and locked it for privacy. Damon then pushed Elena up against the door, kissing her hotly and running his hands up and down her body. Elena returned his kiss, unbuttoning his shirt and moaning against his mouth as their tongues collided, running her hands across his chest, trembling at how good it felt against her skin.

Damon groaned as he felt her hands on him and pulled off her T-shirt, reaching behind her and undoing the clasps of her bra, leaning down to kiss her breasts, licking the nipples with his tongue. Elena let out a scream of pleasure before pushing them toward the bed, where she sat Damon down, kneeling before him, and touched his hard erection with her hand, earning her another groan, this time a little louder. Smiling, she undid the button and zipper of his jeans, pulling them down along with his boxers.

Panting, Damon said, "What are you doing down there, Elena?"

Elena smiled again, her brown eyes twinkling with lust. "Oh, just a little something I've been wanting to try with you but never did until now." She then kissed and licked his cock before taking it in her mouth.

Damon threw his head back and let out a scream of his own as he felt what she was doing to him. He remembered doing this before, but not with Elena. No, he had done this with Klaus' sister, Rebekah, about a year after Klaus kidnapped him and forced him to become a criminal like him. At sixteen, he had been nervous about having sex and because he was so new to it, the experience wasn't a pleasant one. In fact, he remembered crying, begging Rebekah to stop because she was being too rough with him. He didn't dare say a word to Klaus about it, mostly because Klaus had set the whole thing up and if he complained about it, he would've thought the boy was weak.

However, Elena was nothing like Rebekah. She was gentle and took her time, and he was grateful for it. Elena then let go and looked up at him.

"You like that?"

Damon nodded. "Yeah. For someone who's never done that before, you did very well."

"Thank you," said Elena. "I thought that would be a good warm-up." She stood up and undid the button and zipper of her pants, pulling them down, along with her panties, and pushed Damon a little further onto the bed before straddling him and gliding his cock into her core, groaning at how good it felt to have him in her. "Time for the main attraction."

Damon smiled and Elena kissed him while gyrating her hips against him. Damon began to thrust in time with her gyrations, keeping in sync with her movements, not wanting to miss a single beat. Letting Elena take the lead when they made love was the best decision he ever made, because her touch was so gentle and her movements got aggressive at the right moments.

_2 Hours Later..._

Damon and Elena laughed as they held each other under the sheets. They had spent the last two hours making love and it was the best two hours of their lives. Elena enjoyed this feeling she got whenever she and Damon were together like this and knew that she would always feel it for the rest of their lives once they were married.

"That was amazing." She intertwined her fingers with his. "_You_ were amazing."

Damon smiled. "You were pretty amazing yourself, Elena. The things you do to my body are beyond incredible." He kissed her forehead. "I love you so much. I can't wait to marry you."

"I can't wait either," said Elena. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me, Damon, and I intend on showing you every day how grateful I am to be with you."

_**Note: Well, there you have, Chapter 14 of "Cat and Mouse." I'm also going to be doing a sequel to this, entitled, "Freedom isn't Free." I plan on doing just two more chapters after this and then that will lead right into the sequel. **_

_**ENJOY THE DELENA SMUT!**_

_**REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story belongs to me.**

_**Note: Okay, guys, I'm going to update "Cat and Mouse" again, since I've already started the sequel and thought I'd finish the first story before I continue. Thank you for the reviews you've so far. You guys rock! No spoilers, except the action takes place two months later.**_

_2 Months Later..._

Elena smiled as she looked at her reflection in the mirror, loving how she looked in her gown. Today was the day she had been waiting for. She was going to be marrying Damon Salvatore, the man she loved, the man she had saved. Caroline fussed over as she did some last minute adjusting. As Elena's maid of honor, Caroline made sure that everything was just right.

"Caroline, I think it's straight _enough_."

"Nonsense," she replied. "A wedding dress can _never_ be too straight."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Damon isn't going to care about that. He's marrying _me_, not my dress."

"True as that is, you still want to look your best," said Caroline. "Does Damon know how lucky a bastard he is to be getting you as his wife?"

"Don't tell him that, he'll get a big head," said Elena. "But, you're right, he is pretty lucky. Though, I think it's the other way around. I think _I'm_ the lucky one. Until I met Damon, I didn't think I was _ever_ going to find true love. Don't get me wrong, I did date, but I felt like the guys I dated weren't what I expected. Then, Damon came into my life, and all that changed. True, we didn't meet under the best of circumstances, but as we got to know each other, our love just grew."

"That's in your vows, isn't it?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, but it's true. My life has taken on a whole new meaning with Damon in it and I don't think I can ever have it with anyone else."

_Groom's Dressing Room – That Same Moment..._

Damon looked over his vows for what seemed like the fiftieth time. He and Elena had written vows for each other, but since he wasn't allowed to see what she had written, he couldn't compare it to what he had. He also wished that he could see what she looked like in her dress. Whoever came up with the rule about the groom not seeing the bride before the ceremony must've either been a woman or a sadist. Either way, Damon thought it was bullshit.

Stefan sat nearby and watched what his brother was doing.

"Will you relax?" he said. "How many times are you going to read those vows?"

"I just want everything to be perfect."

"It will," said Stefan. "You're marrying the woman you love. What could be more perfect than that? Plus, you've got your family here, which makes today even more perfect."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," said Damon. "It's just that I never thought that this would be happening to me, you know? After all the shit I went through with Klaus, something like this seemed like a pipe dream." He sighed. "Of course, when I met Elena, it was though God answered every single prayer I ever prayed. She's an angel, Stefan, _my _angel. I owe her so much, it's not even funny. If it takes the rest of my natural life, I'm going to thank her every day for what she's done for me."

Stefan nodded. "She's a wonderful woman, Damon. I'm proud to have her as my sister-in-law."

Damon was about to reply when Jeremy Gilbert, Elena's brother, walked in. "Elena's just about ready, Damon. You can head out to the altar."

Damon nodded at his future brother-in-law. "Right, thanks, Jeremy."

With that, he and Stefan walked out of the room and headed out to the sanctuary, where a small group of guests were sitting. Although he would've loved to have given Elena a big, fancy wedding, Damon was glad that she agreed on something small and simple, which made him love her even more. Elisabetta smiled at him from her place in the audience, overjoyed that her son was marrying the woman he loved. She already considered Elena to be part of the family, and that made everything easier.

No sooner did he take his place at the altar than Caroline was seen coming down the aisle, her lavender maid of honor gown making her seem like a Greek goddess, namely Aphrodite, because she seemed to glow with love. She smiled at the Salvatore brothers, mostly at Stefan, taking her place at the altar. Once everyone was positioned, the bride part of the wedding march began and Damon felt his breath leave him as he saw Elena walking down the aisle toward him. She truly did look like an angel in her gown and his heart skipped several beats knowing that she was just moments away from becoming Mrs. Damon Salvatore.

He left the altar and met her half way down the aisle, leading her the rest of the way, smiling at her and whispering in her ear, "You look beautiful, Elena."

His whispered words made her tremble as she replied, "Thank you. You look very handsome."

Damon smiled again and said nothing as they reached their destination and Elena handed her bouquet to Caroline before taking Damon's hands in hers, squeezing them. They then nodded toward the priest, who smiled and began the ceremony.

"Dearly beloved," he said. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of this man and this woman in the bonds of holy matrimony."

Damon and Elena exchanged looks as the priest continued, wondering how long it was going to take to get to the vow exchange, since they were both looking forward to sharing what they had written and weren't allowed to share.

After what seemed like an eternity, the priest said, "Damon and Elena have each written vows that they will now share with each other."

Damon smiled and looked at Elena lovingly, squeezing her hands before saying, "Elena, you have been a blessing in my life ever since I met you. I was in a very dark place and I was looking for a way out. Then, you came into my life and was as though God had answered my prayers to send me a savior to get me out of the dark place I was in. I love you and if it takes the rest of my life, I intend to thank you every day for what you've done for me. You are my angel, my love, and the best friend I could ask for."

Elena felt tears welling up in her eyes and she wondered how she was going to top that. Of course, she knew that this wasn't a competition and cleared her throat as she proceeded to share her vows with him.

"Damon, until I met you, I wasn't sure if I would never find true love. True, I did date, but when I met you, I knew that all of those other guys couldn't hold a candle to you. I know that we didn't meet under the best of circumstances, as I got to know you, our love just grew. You are my savior, my rock, my home, and my heart. It makes my heart sing with pride to become your wife today. I love you so much, Damon, and I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you."

Damon struggled to keep from kissing her as she finished her vows. He loved her more and more at that moment and the only thing keeping him from kissing her was the fact that the ring exchange hadn't taken place yet and the priest hadn't pronounced them husband and wife yet, so he had to control himself.

The priest continued the ceremony and just like before, Damon and Elena exchanged looks and wondered when they were going to exchange rings. Finally, the priest asked for the rings and Damon took the ring he was going to give Elena from Stefan.

"Damon, place the ring on Elena's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Damon nodded and placed the ring on Elena's finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Elena then took the ring she was going to give to Damon and the priest said, "Elena, place the ring on Damon's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Elena nodded and placed the ring on Damon's finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."

The priest then smiled and said, "And by the power invested in me by the state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He nodded at Damon. "You may now kiss the bride."

Damon smiled and pulled Elena into his arms, pulled up her veil and kissed her passionately, not giving a shit about the applause from the crowd. Elena returned the kiss and ignored the applause as well. The only thing she cared about was the fact that she was now Mrs. Damon Salvatore.

_**Note: Here we go, Chapter 15 of "Cat and Mouse." Next chapter will be the last one. **_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story belongs to me.**

_**Note: Well, everyone, here it is, the last chapter of "Cat and Mouse." Hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. Thank you so much for all your reviews. You've been great! No spoilers, just follow along.**_

_**NOW WITH THE EPIC CONCLUSION!**_

_Damon & Elena's House – 2 Months Later..._

Elena sighed as she pulled into the driveway and stopped the car. She had just come home from the doctor, having not been feeling well for the past two months. She was also tired and eating differently and she wanted to see what it was. On top of all that, she was two months late for her period, which was unusual, since she normally got it at the same time every month. As she stepped out of the car, Elena couldn't help but smile at the house. With Elisabetta's help, she and Damon were able to move out of her apartment and into a cozy house in the suburbs. It was a nice little place, just right for a couple that was just starting out.

Of course, Elena wondered what she found out today would change all that. Still, Damon had to know. Taking a deep breath, Elena entered the house and closed the door behind her, placing the keys on the table by the door.

"Damon? Are you here?"

"I'm upstairs, love."

Smiling at her husband's reply, Elena went upstairs to find him sitting on the floor in the master bedroom, where he was playing with Phantom, the black kitten that they had rescued after he had been abandoned by his mother. Elena smiled again as she saw them and was glad that the kitten wasn't as shy as he was when they found him.

"I see he's finally come around."

"Yeah, and I'm definitely grateful for that," said Damon. "I was afraid the little guy wasn't going to trust us." He smiled at his wife. "So, how did it go at the doctor's? Did you find out why you haven't been feeling too good?"

Elena nodded and sat down on the floor by her husband and Phantom, who went over to her and purred as she pet him. "I did."

"And?"

"Do you remember what happened between us our first night here?"

Damon smiled as he thought back to that night. Everything about it was simply amazing. The candles, the flowers, and the passion between him and Elena as they made love in their bed. In fact, he was getting hard just thinking about it.

"Of course," he said. "I would never forget something like that." He looked at her curiously. "Why? What does that have to do with the doctor?"

Elena cleared her throat. "I'm pregnant, Damon."

Damon blinked and at first, he didn't say anything and then, he smiled again as he said, "Honey, that's wonderful." He kissed her. "Imagine that, after all this time, my life is finally turning itself around and it's all because of you."

Elena smiled and returned his kiss. "Well, I don't want to take all the credit. You turned my life around as well. Sure, I'm still a cop, but you made my life a little more exciting." She heard Phantom's little mews and looked down at him. "And so did_ this_ little one."

Damon chuckled and gently stroked the kitten's fur, hearing him purr. "You hear that, Phantom? There's going to be a new Salvatore joining us. Don't worry, you won't be replaced, because we'll still love you."

Elena laughed slightly and kissed her husband again, letting the love she had for envelope them.

_That Same Moment..._

From her seat at a computer within a white van parked outside, a woman watched the scene that was unfolding, her blood boiling with jealousy. She wished that it was her that Damon was kissing instead of Elena. She also that she was the one carrying his baby.

"You've been watching that screen for the past hour, Rebekah. Can't you just let them be?"

The woman, named Rebekah, replied, "I can't _'let them be.'_ Kol, do you realize that this is the chance that I've been waiting for since I learned of Nik's death? Not only can we get our revenge, but I can also try and convince Damon that he made a mistake by turning me down. I loved him, Kol, and I still do. That little slut took him from me and she has to pay."

The man, named Kol, shook his head. "And I thought _I_ was the one who obsessed about things." He smiled. "However, if revenge against the slut that stole Damon from you is what you want, then by all means, sister, have at it." He got an idea. "Maybe I can help you."

Rebekah sighed. "How can you _possibly_ help, Kol?"

"Well, I do happen to know people, and I can tell them about your situation," said Kol. "They can bring Damon to you and deal with his little wifey."

Rebekah was about to tell him no, but then, a wicked smile appeared on her face. "You know, that just might be crazy enough to work. Get in touch with your 'people,' Kol, and inform them that I'm going to need all the help I can get with this little revenge scheme." She then quickly added, "Or should I say, we need all the help we can get?"

Kol returned his sister's smile. "That's the spirit. And, if all goes well, Damon Salvatore will be yours."

**~ FIN (OR IS IT?)**

_**Note: Thus ends "Cat and Mouse." Be sure to check out "Freedom isn't Free," the sequel that I already started.**_

_**ENJOY AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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